70% of Doncaster's public buildings in closure threat

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Doncaster Council has announced plans for large cuts to its services along with more than 1,000 job losses so it can balance its budget for the next three years.

Funding for care homes will be withdrawn. Some day care centres will shut and leisure centres and libraries will also face cutbacks. At the same time, council tax will increase as James Webster reports.

Around 70% of Doncaster's council buildings could close as part of scathing budget cuts.

The authority needs to save around £109 million over the next three years.

Cuts have already meant a reduction in spending by the local authority of more than £305 per man, woman and child in Doncaster over the last three years. £93million has already been saved from the budget since 2010. The extra reductions needed by 2017 would equate to a further £358 per resident.

Doncaster's council buildings

The Mayor’s proposals have identified £92million over the next three years however further work still needs to be done to meet the remaining £17m budget gap.

The budget proposals would mean that around 1200 posts would be affected over the next three years with around 670 already identified. The Council has already reduced its workforce by 1200 since 2010.

The Mayor, Ros Jones, is also proposing an increase of 3.7 per cent in Council house rents, equating to an average increase of £2.46 per week.

There will now be a scrutiny process ahead of the Cabinet considering the proposals on February 5 and the Full Council meeting to discuss and set a budget on February 20.